


promise

by bittersblue



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Crush, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 17:04:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2589407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittersblue/pseuds/bittersblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love comes to Tadashi for the first time on a cold Saturday evening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	promise

**Author's Note:**

> i finished another fic this is a Miracle tbh. im still super ??? about writing both ennoshita and yamaguchi so forgive me for... basically this entire fic lmao.

Love comes to Tadashi for the first time on a cold Saturday evening, a week after the third years’ graduate. with their exchanges of teary-eyed, snotty-nosed farewells, the latter being entirely thanks to Shouyou. The sky above shimmers in a fusion of vibrant oranges and fuchsia, and the sun kisses the horizon a slow goodbye. Below, Tadashi keeps his gaze on his toes as he walks back home from the store, paying far more attention to the scattered pebbles littering the road.

 

A chilly breeze nips at his bare neck, and Tadashi berates himself for forgetting to wear something warmer during these inconsistent winter months. In the end, he hunches into himself, trying to keep in more of his warmth. There’s still another fifteen minutes of walking before he reaches home, Tadashi realizes, his face starting to feel numb from the insistent wind. Digging his hands further into his pockets, he finds a small slip of paper he had scrunched up and shoved in during a shrine visit a couple days ago. A fortune of half-luck, if he recalls correctly.

 

“Yamaguchi?” He hears someone say. “Is that you?”

 

Tadashi stops in his path and turns around, shielding his eyes from the sun’s brightness. “Ahh, Ennoshita-san,” he says upon recognition. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Nothing too exciting,” Chikara says, coming to a halt by Tadashi. “I was over at Daichi’s. He was giving me advice on captainship and all.”

 

“Ahh,” Tadashi nods his head. “Congratulations on that.”

 

“Thank you,” Chikara says. “Are you heading back home? Let’s walk together—it seems we were going in the same direction anyway.”

 

“Sure,” Tadashi says, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. The sun begins to set on them a minute or so into their walk, the oranges melting into reds and pinks, and finally sinking into darkness. Tadashi inhales and exhales, amused in his own way by his visible breath. Next to him, Chikara buries his face into his scarf.

 

“Yamaguchi,” Chikara pauses, slowing down his pace. “You look worried about something. I don’t know if it’s something you want to talk about, but if you do…” Chikara trails off, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry, that might have been a weird thing to say out of the blue,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“It’s fine,” Tadashi shrugs. “I’m just… thinking about next year, I guess. It’s going to be different without the third-years.” Tadashi chews on his lip. “We’ll... we'll have n-new members too.” He recoils at the hesitation in his voice, feeling suddenly hyper aware of Chikara’s inquisitive eyes staring into the side of his face.

 

“I don’t mean to be nosy,” Chikara begins, slowly. “And, please, let me know if you want me to drop this. But it sounds like there’s something else that’s bothering you.”

 

Tadashi sighs and buries his face into the collar of his shirt.

 

“I’m sorry,” Chikara starts, a hint of frantic panic entering his voice. “I shouldn’t have—”

 

“It’s fine,” Tadashi says. “It’s just… I’ve been playing for a year now, you know. But I’m still not… I’m still not _good_.” Tadashi feels his heart pick up pace, feels his voice growing slightly more frantic. “I want to be so much _more_ than just a pinch server. I want to _play_ , I want to be _important_ , I want to be a regular member of the team.” Tadashi exhales. He looks over at Chikara and wilts under the wide-eyed look on his face. “I… sorry. I went a little overboard.”

 

Chikara, to his surprise, laughs.

 

“Ennoshita-san?”

 

“Don’t apologize,” Chikara says, covering his mouth with his hand. “I’m glad you opened up.” He straightens up and looks at Tadashi in the eye. “I’m really glad you still care.”

 

Tadashi blinks.

 

Chikara continues. “It’s fine though, isn’t it? Change. Or at least, that’s what Daichi-san says. You’re right that next year is going to be really different. But that’s exciting isn’t it? It’s a new year, a new chance. Yamaguchi, you’ve worked hard and you’re a good player. I think you have a lot to look forward to next year.”

 

Tadashi looks at Chikara, really looks at him in a way he hasn’t really before. His eyes trace along the curve of his chin, lingering on his dimples, finally settling on his eyes.

 

“Sorry,” Chikara says in response to Tadashi’s silence. “Daichi’s better at the whole motivational talking thing.”

 

“No,” Tadashi says quietly. “It’s fine. You’re fine. Thank you, Ennoshita-san.”

 

They settle into silence once more, walking at a steady pace before they happen across a large intersection. “I’m heading this way,” he says, nodding his head in the general direction of his house. “Think about what I said today. You’re a valuable player, Yamaguchi.”

 

Tadashi nods. “I will. Thank you.”

 

Chikara begins to turn around only to pause and hesitate for a moment. He takes off his scarf and walks up to Tadashi, draping it across his neck. “You looked a little chilly,” he says. “Don’t,” he interrupts when Tadashi tries to protest. “Just give it back to me when you’re a regular on the team. Make it a promise.”

 

Tadashi breathes in, looks Chikara in the eye and says, “Yes, captain.”

 

Shooting him a toothy smile, Chikara turns around and waves at him, while Tadashi stands in the middle of the intersection, hand clutched on the scarf wrapped around his neck, the slight dusting of red on his face hidden by the darkness.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> cry with me about these ships [please](http://twitter.com/bokvto)


End file.
